Acupuncture for pain

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The National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health has accumulated some wonderful information about the use of acupuncture for treating pain. 

Ever since the 1970s, when this ancient Chinese tradition debuted in the U.S., Western researchers have sought to understand the phenomenon of acupuncture.

But the American public hasn’t waited for the scientific answers. Because conventional medicine either hasn’t worked nor had the answers, growing numbers of patients are seeking out acupuncturists. According to the 2002 Natiogrowingth Interview Survey, an estimated 8.2 million American adults have used acupuncture. This is an impressive number considering only an estimated 2.1 million American adults had used acupuncture in the year before.

Acupuncture is commonly used as an adjunct treatment or an acceptable alternative to treat an ever-growing list of disorders: addiction, stroke, headache, menstrual cramps, tennis elbow, fibromyalgia, osteoarthritis, low back pain, carpal tunnel syndrome, asthma, infertility, pregnancy problems, dental pain, and side effects from cancer treatment.

“The applications for acupuncture are endless…people use it for sports injuries, for their emotional well-being, for everything,” Peter Wayne, Ph.D., director of research at the New England School of Acupuncture, tells WebMD.

Recent advancements in technology have helped unlock the biological mysteries of this 2,000-year-old medical practice. Researchers are much closer to understanding how an acupuncture needle can subtly adjust the body’s tissues, nerves, and hormones. The NIH and World Health Organization have both given formal approval of certain uses of acupuncture.

It helps to have an exploring, open mindset when considering acupuncture. “But even people who are not very open-minded try it and find that they feel good during the treatments,”said David S. Kiefer, MD, of the University of Arizona in Tucson, told WebMD in a previous interview. “Sometimes they are surprised.”

For many people, back pain is temporary and will often get better with time. For the rest, back pain may be a chronic disease that prevents the pursuit of a normal life. The advantage of using acupuncture to treat back pain is that acupuncture not only relieves the pain temporarily, but in many cases, it can also effectively treat the root cause of the pain. In this way, acupuncture can benefit even those who suffer from severe, chronic back pain.

Depending on the cause and severity of the pain, and the overall health of the patient, we will develop a treatment plan consisting of traditional acupuncture or a combination of acupuncture and exercises in accordance with our natural healing energy philosophy. Many of our patients see immediate results, increased mobility, and less pain in just several treatments.

Chronic pain in the muscles and joints can make life miserable. Standard treatments like ice and heat, anti-inflammatory medications, physical therapy, and appropriate exercises can often ease the pain. But when they don’t, acupuncture is an option with a good track record that’s worth considering.

Over the years there has been substantial debate about whether acupuncture really works for chronic pain. Research from an international team of experts adds to the evidence that it does provide real relief from common forms of pain. The team pooled the results of 29 studies involving nearly 18,000 participants. Some had acupuncture, some had “sham” acupuncture, and some didn’t have acupuncture at all. Overall, acupuncture relieved pain by about 50%. The results were published in Archives of Internal Medicine.

The study isn’t the last word on the issue, but it is one of the best quality studies to date.

“I think the benefit of acupuncture is clear, and the complications and potential adverse effects of acupuncture are low compared with medication,” says Dr. Lucy Chen, a board-certified anesthesiologist, specialist in pain medicine, and practicing acupuncturist at Harvard-affiliated Massachusetts General Hospital.

Depending on the cause and severity of the pain, and the overall health of the patient, we will develop a customized treatment plan. This plan may involve traditional acupuncture or a combination of acupuncture and exercises in accordance with our natural healing energy philosophy. Many of our patients see immediate results. Notably, they experience increased mobility and less pain in just several treatments when they come to us with chronic sciatica and knee pain.

We frequently work with patients who range from experiencing mild knee pain to postoperative patients looking to recover faster and use less addictive pain medications. Furthermore, we are experts at integrating acupuncture with your current treatment plan, be it physical therapy, massage, or working with a surgeon.

Acupuncture works to increase circulation of blood to the area of pain while reducing inflammation. In addition your brain naturally releases endorphins from your brain during acupuncture which reduces pain immediately. We may incorporate other Chinese medical modalities to treat your knee pain effectively, like moxibustion, heat, or massage.

We have successfully treated patients with:

• Bursitis
• Osteoarthritis
• Rheumatoid Arthritis
• Post Operative Knee Pain
• Meniscus Tears (pain reduction)
• Runner’s Knee
• Ligament Injuries

“My knees have been diagnosed with stage IV degenerative arthritis since the beginning of this year. I have been trying everything as I can, such as pain medication, massage, acupuncture, physical therapy and aqua-therapy etc. Unfortunately, the symptom has not been much improved. The miracle happens since May 2015, I have received Dr. Huo’s treatment. Once a week with his energy medicine, acupuncture and Chinese Herb Medicine, my health situation improved a lot. My arthritis has been controlled very well. I am back to normal routine life now.

Thanks for Dr. Frank Hou’s magic hand!”

• X. L. Tan (Boston, MA)

We want you to feel better as fast as possible! Contact us at our office in Fresh Meadows Queens to access effective acupuncture for your pain.